


Martinese

by ginnyred



Category: SKAM (Italy)
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Humor, Languages, M/M, Post-Canon, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:55:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23609503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ginnyred/pseuds/ginnyred
Summary: Nico has always been fairly good at languages.
Relationships: Niccolò Fares/Martino Rametta
Comments: 19
Kudos: 89





	Martinese

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you Clo for the French tutoring!

Nico has always been fairly good at languages.

Alive ones, that is. Languages that people actually speak. But dead languages are someone else's problem now (specifically, Marti's), so Nico doesn't count those.

And yes, it's true he's learnt more English from rap songs than from school, but who cares: he's good at it anyway. And his mom's friend Sylvie from Provence says he speaks French "vraiment bien", though he hasn't touched a grammar book in years.

He supposes his brief infatuation with Baudelaire helped somewhat.

Now, Martinese is more of a work-in-progress thing – though, really, learning it isn't that different from learning any other language. You need motivation.

Music. Baudelaire.

_Marti._

Nico got the basics down pretty early: "we'll see" is "no" and "asshole" is a multi-purpose term of endearment. Those are easy.

Nico isn't so presumptuous as to think he's the most fluent Martinese learner there is. Both Giovanni and Lucrezia, Marti's mum, have had a lot more time to learn, so it makes sense to assume they're better at it.

He's only a little bit jealous of that.

But the thing is, Martinese is situational: context is key.

And Nico likes to think there are things only _he_ gets to find out about, only he gets to learn. Little words and phrases that only belong to the two of them – like a code or a secret language – because well, context _is_ key.

Like last night, when Marti plopped down on the sofa at Nico's place and looked up at him, almost melting into the cushions, eyelids heavy, mumbling: "Do you want to watch a movie?"

It does not mean "do you want to watch a movie?". Obviously.

When Marti wants to watch a movie he'll put it on and announce they're watching a movie.

(Marti's taste in films is what it is, Nico has made peace with it. Not that he only watches trash, but to him most of Nico's favourite films fall under the "but nothing _happens_ in it, Ni" category.

He would make a great critic, Nico thinks.)

"Do you want to watch a movie?", Nico has learnt, is Martinese for "turn the lights off and come over here".

And yes, they did put on a movie last night – only Nico doesn't remember what it was, and Marti probably never even knew.

But Nico remembers the way Marti curled into him as soon as Nico leaned back against the cushions. The slow rub of Marti's face against his shoulder, his hands trailing slowly all the way up from Nico's waist, making him shiver, until Marti linked his fingers behind Nico's neck and kissed him deep.

Afterwards, they fell asleep on the sofa.

And in the morning Nico woke up with an aching neck, not feeling his left arm because Marti used it as a pillow during the night.

But he also woke up to sunshine filtering in from the blinds, framing Marti's crooked sleepy smile in golden light.

So, there was that.

"Earth to Nico." Marti snaps his fingers in Nico's face and wakes him up from his language-related daydreams. "Do you want coffee?"

"Sure." Nico pushes his cup at Marti, who starts pouring freshly-made espresso into it. It smells great. "Thanks."

The microwave dings, and Nico looks up at it, surprised and almost startled. He was so distracted he didn't even notice it was on.

"What's that?"

"Chocolate croissants. I bought them yesterday as I was coming over." Marti grins. "Hid them in the freezer when you were talking to the old lady opposite."

Nico hears the "are you impressed yet?" loud and clear, but that barely takes skills. He hides a smile in his coffee cup, thinking of the quieter "I want to make you happy" he's learnt to decipher as well.

"How sneaky of you," Nico comments mildly, though he knows his smile is giving him away. If he were to say what he's really thinking, he would probably explode from all the love.

See? His Martinese really is improving.

He watches fondly as Marti walks over to the microwave and takes out a plate with two delicious-looking croissants.

He knows Marti can feel his gaze on him. He's pretty sure Marti knows what he's thinking too.

Marti lays the plate on the kitchen table and makes to slide it towards Nico, but then checks himself – a second thought.

He leaves it there, just out of reach, but close enough that Nico can smell the chocolate.

Marti smiles down at him, suddenly very pleased with himself, and Nico lifts an eyebrow in response, leaning back on his chair.

"There are conditions to the goodness of your heart, I take it?"

"Only one," Marti says, tracing the shape of the plate with his finger. He's smiling to himself.

"Right."

"We go out later..." Marti pauses for effect. "And you let me drive."

Nico rolls his eyes. He should have known.

"Marti. It's not _my_ car."

"It kind of is, though," Marti insists, taking a step forward, into Nico's space. "Your mum lets you use it! You keep it here!"

"Marti, if you scratch it, she-"

"But I won't! Ni, please, I have a license. I just never get to drive because we don't have a car at home." Marti joins his hands as if in prayer. " _Please._ " He pushes the plate at Nico, then clasps his hands again. "You can have both croissants, I don't care."

 _Ah, how the tables have turned_ , Nico thinks to himself, amused.

... he's going to say yes. Obviously.

And if Marti does scratch the car, Nico will take the blame and endure his mother's sermon on careless driving.

(Yeah. As if.

Marti will confess first and then they will both have to endure a sermon on careless driving _and_ on letting your unexperienced boyfriend drive your mum's car. How is that sensible?)

However, that doesn't mean Nico can't have some fun.

"I have one condition," Nico says with a knowing smile.

"I'm giving you two croissants!"

"Another one. Come here." Nico gestures for Marti to lean down and, when he does, murmurs something in his ear.

He giggles to himself as Marti pulls back, blushing all the way to his ears.

"You suck," Marti says, rolling his eyes.

"Is that a yes?"

"When?"

"Now."

"Now?!"

"Why not? You want an audience?" Nico giggles. "Because if you'd rather have one, we can arrange-"

"Fine fine fine! I'll do it now."

Marti clears his throat, looking at Nico menacingly – and knowing what he knows only makes the whole thing funnier for Nico.

"Come on, I believe in you," Nico encourages Marti, nudging him with his foot, gently mocking. "Just this once? For me?"

Marti only scowls harder and Nico laughs.

"You can think of the car if it helps?"

"Fuck you," Marti says. He pulls a face like he's being made to eat Samir's spatchcock chicken for the fourth time in a week, but enunciates clearly: " _Sweetheart._ "

... and, yeah, it doesn't work.

Nico laughs again and makes a mental note that, in Martinese, "sweetheart" equals "jerk". It makes a lot of sense, when one thinks about it.

Nico grabs Marti by the arm and pulls him down for a hard-earned kiss.

"Eat, we leave in ten minutes," Marti mumbles against Nico's lips, but doesn't try to move away.

"I love you," Nico says, because he does, and Marti rolls his eyes.

"Asshole."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. Hope you enjoyed <3


End file.
